Tag Archives: Carolina Panthers

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed S Dallin Leavitt and TE Paul Butler from the practice squad, the club announced Monday.

Butler was originally signed by the club as an undrafted free agent after participating on a tryout basis at the team’s rookie mini-camp this past May. A 6-foot-6, 252-pound tight end out of California Pa., Butler appeared in 33 games over four seasons with Vulcans, totaling 32 receptions for 381 yards, adding five scores. A native of Dubois, Pa., Butler has spent the entire 2018 campaign on the club’s practice squad after appearing in all four of the team’s preseason contests.

Leavitt, a 5-10, 203-pound rookie from Utah State, was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in May and has spent the entire season to date on the Raiders’ practice squad. Leavitt played two years at Utah State after beginning his career at BYU. His collegiate totals include 45 games played with 26 starts, 211 tackles (121 solo), seven interceptions, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight passes defensed. A two-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference selection, Leavitt saw action in all four of the Silver and Black’s preseason contests.

In corresponding moves, the Raiders have placed CB Daryl Worley on the Reserve/Injured List and waived DE Damontre’ Moore.

Moore was signed to the club’s active roster as a free agent ahead of the team’s Week 14 contest. In two appearances with the Raiders, Moore tallied one tackle.

Worley, who joined the Raiders as a free agent in April, has played in 10 games with nine starts this season. His season totals include 33 tackles (30), one interception and seven passes defensed. Worley played his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers and the third-year pro has recorded four interceptions in 41 career games.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent CB Bene Benwikere, the club announced Wednesday.

A former fifth-round pick (148th overall) of the Carolina Panthers in the 2014 NFL Draft, Benwikere is now in his fifth season in the NFL, having made stops with the Dallas Cowboys (2017) and Arizona Cardinals (2018) after his first three seasons with the Panthers. Over his five-year career, the Fontana, Calif., native has appeared in 50 games and made 22 starts, recording 153 tackles (115 solo), 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, 25 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Last season, the San Jose State alum appeared in 12 games with the Cowboys before signing with the Cardinals this past offseason. In 11 games this season, the 6-foot-, 195-cornerback compiled 49 tackles (37), one interception, four passes defensed and one forced fumble with the club.

In a corresponding move, the Raiders have placed LB Shilique Calhoun on the Reserve/Injured List. Originally a third-round (75th overall) selection by the club in the 2016 NFL Draft, Calhoun has appeared in 26 games over three seasons with the Silver and Black, totaling 23 stops (13) and 0.5 sacks. Calhoun appeared in seven games this season and recorded 12 tackles (six).

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent DE Kony Ealy, the club announced Monday.

A former second-round pick (60th overall) of the Carolina Panthers in the 2014 NFL Draft, Ealy now enters his fifth year in the league after making stops with the Panthers (2014-16) and New York Jets (2017). At 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, the defensive end has appeared in 62 games over his career with the two clubs, making 19 starts and compiling 90 tackles (53 solo), 15 sacks, two interceptions, 14 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In postseason action, Ealy has appeared in five contests and made one start, notching 11 stops (five), three sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

A native of New Madrid, Mo., Ealy played in 38 games at Missouri and made 25 starts, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior in 2013. Over his career, he registered 93 tackles, including 27.5 for loss, 14 sacks, one interception, 13 passes defensed and four forced fumbles.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have activated CB Daryl Worley via the Reserve/Suspended List and have added him to the active roster, the club announced Saturday.

Worley, who will wear No. 20, signed with the team this past offseason as a free agent.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound cornerback has appeared in 31 contests and made 25 starts, recording 150 tackles (111 solo), two sacks, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed. Last season, Worley made a career-high 14 starts for the Carolina Panthers and set career highs in interceptions (two) and passes defensed (10), while also adding 63 tackles.

In a corresponding move, the Raiders have released DL Tank Carradine. After signing with the team this past offseason, Carradine appeared in one contest and recorded one tackle for the club.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent WR Brandon LaFell, the club announced Monday.

LaFell enters his ninth season in the NFL after having stints with the Carolina Panthers (2010-13), New England Patriots (2014-15) and most recently with the Cincinnati Bengals (2016-17). Over his eight-year career, LaFell has played in 119 games and made 85 starts, recording 394 receptions, 5,263 yards (13.4 avg.) and 29 touchdowns. He has appeared in six postseason contests and made five starts, tallying 20 receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns.

Last season, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver appeared in all 16 contests for the Bengals and made 15 starts. He compiled 52 receptions for 548 yards (10.5 avg.), marks that both ranked second on the team, while adding three touchdowns.

In a corresponding move, the Raiders have waived WR Johnny Holton. A third-year player, Holton made the roster in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati. In his two seasons with the Silver and Black, he tallied 11 receptions for 252 yards and added three scores, while also registering 17 special teams tackles.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent CB Daryl Worley, the club announced Monday.

Worley joins the Silver and Black entering his third year in the NFL, having spent the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Worley, a third-round selection (77th overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft, has appeared in 31 contests and made 25 starts, recording 150 tackles (111 solo), two sacks, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed.

Last season, Worley made a career-high 14 starts for the Panthers and set career highs in interceptions (two) and passes defensed (10), while also adding 63 tackles. As a rookie, he appeared in all 16 contests and ranked second on the team with nine passes defensed.

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Worley attended West Virginia for three years (2013-15) before entering the NFL draft following his junior season. While with the Mountaineers, he appeared in 34 games and made 27 starts, totaled 146 tackles, 10 interceptions, 21 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery while being named an All-Big 12 Conference selection twice.

Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders is the winner of the second annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award presented by Mcdonald’s, it was announced today. The award recognizes the NFL player who demonstrates the qualities of outstanding sportsmanship on the playing field, including fair play, respect for opponents and integrity in competition.

The announcement of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Presented by McDonald’s was made at NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special that will air nationally at 9 PM ET/PT tonight on CBS. The award was founded last year in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney, SR.

Woodson will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.

To commemorate the honor, Woodson was presented on-stage “The Art Rooney Trophy,” which represents the important role that sportsmanship plays in the game and how NFL players that demonstrate integrity and honor on the field serve as role models for other players at all levels. The award design was inspired by the upward arc of a football in motion and contains a gold line embedded in glass that represents the path of sportsmanship throughout a career. Etched into the award are the words “integrity,” “honor,” “respect,” and “fairness,” the values that define excellent sportsmanship.

The winner of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. In 2014, the players chose Larry Fitzgeraldof the Arizona Cardinals as the inaugural winner of the Art Rooney Award.

Each NFL team nominated one of its players for the award, which recognizes players who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field. A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community selected eight finalists (four in the AFC; four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The panel of Legends Coordinators was comprised of Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg, Leonard Wheeler.

The eight finalists were listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award when players voted on December 18, 2015. From the eight finalists, each team’s players submit a consensus vote of its choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team could not vote for its own player.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Oakland Raiders RB Latavius Murray was named to his first Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Sunday. Murray, who was originally selected as an alternate, replaces Carolina Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart, who will be participating in the Super Bowl.

Murray joins teammates S Charles Woodson, FB Marcel Reece, DE Khalil Mack, QB Derek Carr and WR Amari Cooper as selections to the NFL’s all-star game, to be played at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium on Jan. 31. In December, Murray, Cooper and Carr and were named alternates for the Pro Bowl, and Carr and Cooper were named as replacements last week.

The Raiders’ six Pro Bowl selections mark the team’s most since having six in 1994. The selections that season were WR/KR Tim Brown, G Kevin Gogan, QB Jeff Hostetler, CB Terry McDaniel, DT Chester McGlockton and G Steve Wisniewski. The most Pro Bowl representatives in franchise history came in 1973 and 1974 when the Raiders featured nine Pro Bowlers each year.

Murray became the first Raider since 2010 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, totaling 1,066 yards on 266 carries (4.0 avg.) and six touchdowns in 2015. His rushing total ranked sixth in the NFL and second among all AFC running backs. The third-year player also ranked third on the team with 41 receptions, totaling 232 yards.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound running back eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice during the campaign, racking up 139 yards on the ground in a Week 3 victory at Cleveland and posting a 113-yard effort in a Week 8 win over the New York Jets at home. He topped 70 yards rushing in a game on five other occasions during the year.

The native of Nedrow, N.Y., was drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round (184th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft out of UCF. He spent his rookie year on the reserve/injured list before playing in 15 games with three starts in 2014. He finished his second season with 82 carries for 424 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team with a 5.2-yard rushing average.

San Francisco 49ers WR Anquan Boldin was named one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, for the second consecutive year. One of the most prestigious awards in all of sports, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the only league award that recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence.

Boldin will be available on a conference call on Tuesday, January 26th at 11 a.m. PT. (49ers Conference Call Line – 866-710-5981 – Conference Room Number: 159-231-8300).

Boldin etched his name in the NFL record books multiple times throughout the 2015 season. In Week 16, Boldin recorded his 1,000th career reception becoming one of only 13 players in NFL history to record 1,000-or-more receptions in their career. In addition, Boldin reached 1,000 receptions in 185 games, making him the fifth-fastest player to reach that milestone, and currently ranks 12th in NFL history with 1,009 career receptions. Boldin also became the first player in NFL history to record 50-or-more receptions and at least 600 yards receiving in each of his first 13 NFL seasons. He finished the season with 69 receptions for 789 yards and four touchdowns. Throughout his career, Boldin has been honored with NFL Man of the Year nominations four times by three different teams and has been equally impactful in the community during his 13 years in the NFL.

Boldin is responsible for establishing the Anquan Boldin (Q81) Foundation, which for 12 years has been dedicated to expanding the educational and life opportunities of underprivileged children. Through grassroots efforts by Boldin, the foundation has showcased charitable activities in Phoenix, Baltimore, South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area, developing a niche for awarding scholastic and community achievement in youth, as well as distributing four-year college scholarships to deserving high school seniors. In 2014, the three-time Pro Bowl selection and his wife, Dionne, donated one million dollars to the Q81 Foundation for continued distribution of college scholarships. That same year, the NFLPA awarded Boldin and his foundation $100,000 for winning the prestigious Byron “Whizzer” White Award. Boldin’s foundation was also awarded $25,000, when he was named a 2015 Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award finalist, the only NFL player to be acknowledged.

Furthermore, the 13-year veteran recruits fellow NFL players and celebrities to participate in the annual Q-Festival, a weekend of free entertainment provided to residents and participating fans in his Florida hometown of Palm Beach County, raising more than $100,000 annually. Other seasonal services provided through the foundation include Thanksgiving giveaways, holiday shopping sprees and back-to-school donations.

Boldin’s philanthropic endeavors have also had a global impact. Since 2010, he has worked with Oxfam America, taking two overseas trips to Ethiopia and Senegal and later using his testimony at the White House to lobby Senegalese rights.

Each of the 32 team nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year receives a $5,000 donation to their charity of choice. The two runner-ups will receive an additional $6,000 donation, and the winner will receive a $50,000 donation. Donations will be courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

The winner will be announced during the 5th Annual NFL Honors Awards show, a two-hour primetime special airing nationally on CBS on February 6, the night before Super Bowl 50, from 6-8 p.m. PT at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

“Anquan is a great dude. He’s very genuine and very passionate about helping others. It’s tremendous what he’s doing in the community. The lives he’s been able to impact, it leaves me in awe. I definitely feel that he should win the award. He’s very much deserving. Hopefully he’ll be the recipient of that award this year just based on all the things he’s been able to accomplish.”

San Francisco 49ers WR and 2014 Baltimore Ravens Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Nominee Torrey Smith on Boldin:

“I’m planning on him winning it. I think he should win it. The impact he’s had in Arizona, obviously back home in Florida, in Baltimore and now here. It’s crazy. He’s so spread out. There are not many players that can say that. What Anquan has done is really unique and it’s going to continue to live on longer than his playing days here and I think that says a lot because I think he’s a Hall of Famer.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent LB Lorenzo Alexander, the club announced Wednesday.

Alexander is entering his ninth NFL season, following stints with the Washington Redskins (2006-12) and Arizona Cardinals (2013-14), and practice squad stops with the Carolina Panthers (2005) and Baltimore Ravens (2006). For his career, Alexander has totaled 111 games played with 16 starts, 154 tackles (95 solo), nine sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and six passes defensed. A standout special teams performer, he has also recorded 94 special teams stops over his career.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pounder was voted as the NFC’s special teams representative for the Pro Bowl after he posted 31 special teams tackles in 2012. On defense that season, Alexander added a career-high 2.5 sacks and 26 tackles (17 solo).

Off the field, Alexander was named the Redskins’ Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee twice (2010-11) during his tenure with the team. He was also named as the recipient of Washington’s Media Good Guy Award in both 2011 and 2012.

A native of Berkeley, Calif., Alexander attended California, where he was a two-time honorable mention All-Pac 10 selection as a defensive lineman.